A team of researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India and the University of Wolverhampton recently found an unexpected amphibian in the forest marsh of Namdapha-Kamlang in northeast India. As one of the scientists, Dr Deepak Veerappan, told the BBC:
"Initially we first heard the call from a marsh near the Noa-Dihing river, which is quite similar to wild duck species, like 'quack… quack… quack,' which we never heard before," Dr Deepak Veerappan, from the university, said.
But the quacking turned out to be pronounced…by a frog?
From The Logical Indian:
The scientists encountered male frogs with 'robust' bodies calling loudly, nestled within vegetation in shallow pools of water. Additional specimens were observed in nearby marshy areas, the edges of a recently constructed pond, and along the side of a nearby road.
[…]
Characterized by a 'robust' body, male frogs measure approximately 1.8 to 2.3 inches, while females range from about 2.4 to 2.6 inches in length. The frogs exhibit a 'rounded' snout, 'smooth' skin with bony protrusions on their backs, and a distinct 'pale cream' line bordered with dark brown running down the center of their bodies. Their limbs are light brown with dark stripes.
The quacking frog has been named for the river by which it was found: the Noa-Dihing Music Frogs. It's the first frog of the Nidirana genus found on the Indian sub-continent. The scientists found five specimens in total.
What's that saying? "If it looks like a frog, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a frog?"
Wolverhampton scientists say new frog species sounds like a duck [Eleanor Lawson / BBC]
Arunachal's Melodic Surprise: Scientists Identify A Species Of Music Frog [Tanya Chaturvedi / The Logical Indian]
